“I believed in immaculate conception and spontaneous combustion.
I believed in aliens from outer space and vampires, prophecy, and
the resurrection of the dead. I had deja vu many times each day.
Road Sign |
Your Challenge: Write a 13-line poem in which the theme has to do with the number thirteen. Please post your poem by Friday the 13th.
Here are 13 of many possible inspirations:
- Paraskevidekatriaphobia (fear of Friday the 13th)
- Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, a poem by Wallace Stevens.
- The first line of George Orwell's novel 1984: It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
- Thirteen Reasons Why, a novel by by Jay Asher.
- Saint Anthony of Padua whose feast day is June 13.
- Thirteen, a song sung by Johnny Cash (written by Danzig)
- Thirteen, a song by Ben Kweller
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Thirteen, a 2003 American film
- 13 Tzameti, a 2005 French film ("Tzameti," "13" in Georgian)
- Thirteenth floors
- Apollo 13
- Covens
Panel from an elevator in a residential apartment building in Shanghai. Floors 4, 13 and 14 are missing, because of the similarity between the pronunciation of the word 'four' and 'death' in Chinese; note also the "negative first floor", as the number zero is considered similarly unlucky in parts of East Asia. |
Please:
1. Post your "13 lines on 13" poem on your site, and then link it here.
2. Share only original and new work written for this challenge.
3. Leave a comment here.
4. Honor our community by visiting and commenting on others' poems.
(Next week's Midweek Motif is Light and Dark, or The Longest Day.)
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I failed the thirteen line challenge but hopefully it has an air of Friday 13th! :~
BalasPadamHey, Jae Rose! I'm trying to fix Mr. Linky. I'll stop by soon!
PadamFixed! But Huge! I think I'll send a message to the help desk and tell them our Mr. Linky has been haunted from Day One! May this week be good to you.
BalasPadamYou have made it fun.
BalasPadamBTW, are you playing loose and fast with the font sizes or is it my eyes :-) ?
Mr. kinky is mis-behaving. I have done the rest. I'll be by real soon!
Padamplaying fast and loose?
Padamgot it wrong, didn't I?
BTW, is a fast woman any different from a loose one :-)
and I so hope kinky wasn'ty merely a typo
Laughter over here. No, not a mistake. It was once, but this time it's deliberate.
PadamNothing to do with Friday the 13th, but still 13 lines x 13 syllables... Great challenge!
BalasPadamGREAT poem.
PadamThis poem wrote itself but then I realized all my poems are in sets of 4.
BalasPadamHappy Friday the 13th.
Funny what we learn with thirteen ...
PadamI was determined to do this week's MWM and done it....yay...great prompt Susan..and o my....Mr. Linky seems so obese this week.. :D
BalasPadamThat is a kind way to say BLOATED.
Padamhey, I'm kind of sensitive about that! :-)
PadamSorry, Mr. Linky! Note below, that I credit you with all the fixing and blame the worst on the number 13.
PadamFixed the Mr. Linky with the help of Mr. Linky. Did you notice that this occurred after the 13th comment?
BalasPadamThis was a wonderful prompt!! first time on Poets united... I hope you like it ...
BalasPadamWelcome. Arushi! I hope you will follow us!
PadamGood prompt, Susan.
BalasPadamMine is up at: https://purplepeninportland.wordpress.com/2014/06/12/thirteen/
13 lines hmm...almost ~ thanks for the inspiration, Susan!
BalasPadamGood to see you, Humbird.
PadamThat was a challenging prompt Susan..enjoyed it a lot ..smiles
BalasPadamGlad you turned it into joy.
PadamThirteen... my voice changed. In more ways than one.
BalasPadamhttp://wojisme.wordpress.com/2014/06/12/puberty/
Thanks, Walt. I identified in many ways ...
PadamInteresting prompt, Susan. I finally found time to complete my poem.
BalasPadamTruly glad you did! I'm hoping to see Rosemary too.
PadamSorry, I missed the 13-line rule! And mine is confessional...if that's allowed here...!!!
BalasPadamI forgot to count the lines! Must have been the power off the piece. Don't forget to visit the rest of us. Thank you for posting your "13."
PadamThirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird is one of my favorite poems. Happy Full Moon Friday the 13th everyone.
BalasPadamYou too, Libby.
PadamFunny poem to write... I am so weird about stanzas all having same number of lines lately. Then there is one line, sort of hanging out to dry... Odd but perfectly brill challenge! My Aunt Ruth was born on a Friday the 13th. Peace and thanks again, Amy
BalasPadamVery good to see you. have a great day!
PadamGreat prompt...lots of fun.
BalasPadamThanks, CC, for bringing your poem.
PadamGreat prompt, Susan! I had fun writing mine and am enjoying reading what others have come up with.
BalasPadamKinda takes the edge off the day, doesn't it?
PadamStill the right day.. yes fun prompt.. I think mine works :-)
BalasPadamYes. Somewhere in the world. Thanks for playing, Bjorn.
Padami waited til the 13th to make it official...and in at 13 lines...
BalasPadamread to current---will check back when i get where i am going today
That's a long ride. Be safe and have fun.
PadamNow, if only all of those who have posted links (and on whose poems I have commented) would make the rounds, it would be a good Friday the 13th. So far 9 out of the 22 besides myself have been reciprocal. Hope some more will follow suit.
BalasPadamYou speak my mind! The day is young, and the incentive is strong. Have a good day, Mary! I'm heading out to physical therapy.
Padamgood luck with that mary...hehe
PadamYup, Brian, I know. Sigh!
PadamJust managed to get it in on Friday (my time).
BalasPadamI knew you would be here for this one. I've had my first Uh-Oh of the day, thinking my PT was at 11 AM and not at 9:30 AM. I missed it. For penance I will go and do my exercises very slowly, right now. I enjoy accomplishing them, so payback will be sweet. Have a lovely day and weekend too.
PadamPast midnight here now. I'll have to come back tomorrow to look a others' poems.
Padam(How well you know me, Susan! Smile.)
I have entered my post. Thanks for the fun.
BalasPadamYou are the last one, Gail. I'm glad you made it!
PadamThis week was truly full of good reads! Don't forget about PU Poets Pantry tomorrow. Visit PU for good reading all week long.
BalasPadamThank you Susan for a deeply interesting theme
BalasPadamThank you Susan for a deeply interesting theme
BalasPadam